Snowmobile stand mechanism

ABSTRACT

A snowmobile stand mechanism for drive-track type snowmobiles is provided comprising a stand rotatable between a transport position where the stand is not engaged and a use position where the stand is engaged and elevates the drive track above the ground surface, the stand comprising leverage means that require minimal physical exertion or, alternatively, motor-driven operation. The stand is attached to the snowmobile by means of a stand track, whereby the stand can be retracted during transport and extended for use.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/098,444,filed Mar. 18, 2002 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,688,581.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to snowmobile stand mechanisms, and moreparticularly to a stand apparatus for attachment to a snowmobile thatallows for lifting of the drive track of the snowmobile above groundlevel.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A common problem encountered by operators of drive-track typesnowmobiles is the freezing of the drive track to the slide rails whichcan occur due to parking the vehicle for a period of time after usage.Snow and ice that have attached to the snowmobile during the ridingperiod may melt due to temperature conditions, and refreezing of themelted snow and ice can occur given appropriate conditions, resulting inthe drive track becoming frozen to the slide rails. Another problemfacing snowmobile operators is the recommendation of manufacturers thattheir vehicles be raised above the ground surface to warm up the drivetrain prior to initial attempts to move the vehicle; this relates to theneed to prevent drive belt wear and disintegration.

Both of these problems facing snowmobile operators can be addressed byemploying means of raising the drive track above the ground surface fora desired period. However, potential solutions to these problems arecomplicated by the weight of commercially available snowmobiles, whichcan be as much as 700 pounds. Lifting a vehicle of such considerablesize is a difficult task. It is also extremely dangerous, as the vehiclemust be held up with one hand while a support is positioned beneath thevehicle with the other hand.

It is not uncommon to see snowmobiles propped up on wood crates or thelike as supports that are perceived as adequate for elevating thevehicle drive track. However, there are serious safety concerns withsuch a practice, as the operator must engage in strenuous andpotentially harmful manual lifting of the vehicle rear to rest it uponthe crate, and the crate is likely not a thoroughly stable supportapparatus in any event. Lack of a stable support could result in thevehicle falling from the elevated position, potentially causing damageto the vehicle and its surroundings and injury to bystanders. Inaddition, using such a method when warming up the vehicle prior tooperation could result in further potential damage from the vehiclesurging forward upon support collapse.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

Prior attempts to address these problems include a variety of devicessuch as stands and jacks. U.S. Pat. No. 3,964,729 to Harlow discloses atripod stand for snowmobiles. The device employs a lever which, whenpushed in a downward direction, serves to effect an upward pull on astrap which is temporarily secured to the rear end of the vehicle,elevating the vehicle. However, the device still requires significantphysical exertion. In addition, the device is separate from thesnowmobile, and this would require storage means on the vehicle notdescribed in the patent, and the separate existence and cumbersomedesign of the device means that it may not always be available whenneeded. Such stands are, in fact, often left behind by the operator atthe embarkation point, and fail to be of any further use untilcompletion of a full return trip.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,643,396 to Beals also discloses a snowmobile tripodstand, but in this case using a hook member to engage a lift rod locatedat the rear of the vehicle. Again, the design is cumbersome and it isseparate from the vehicle, similar problems to those found in Harlow.

Similar devices are provided in U.S. Pat. No. 5,135,200 to Neibrandt,U.S. Pat. No. 5,143,352 to Latimer, U.S. Pat. No. 5,806,836 to Wilson,U.S. Pat. No. 5,806,837 to Cargill et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 6,302,378to Koch et al., all revealing similar difficulties and limitations.

The devices disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,618,030 to Eggert and U.S. Pat.No. 5,873,552 to Skarp are designed to be collapsible, countering alimitation of the other prior art. However, Eggert is a simple levermechanism requiring significant physical exertion and Skarp provides astand but no means for actually lifting the vehicle to the desiredelevation. As with the above-mentioned art, these two devices areseparate from the vehicle and may not be available when needed due tosusceptibility to loss or lack of storage space on the vehicle.

There are a handful of devices that are capable of attachment to thesnowmobile itself. U.S. Pat. No. 3,981,372 to Moreau provides amotorized vehicle stand which, when employed, swings downward about apivot point until contact with the ground surface. This fails to addressthe safety concerns outlined above, however, as the operator must stillmanually lift the rear end of the snowmobile in order to allow the standto fully engage beneath the vehicle. U.S. Pat. No. 3,785,541 to Sibleydiscloses a similar stand, and it too fails to provide a means forrelieving the operator from the physical stress of lifting the vehicleprior to stand engagement. Canadian patent application 2,123,868 toIppersiel discloses another similar device, requiring simultaneousrocking and lifting of the vehicle, again failing to address fully theneeds of snowmobile operators for a portable, removably attachedsnowmobile stand that requires only a minimal amount of physicalexertion for operation.

What is therefore required is a means for safely elevating a snowmobileinto a stable position, preventing refreezing of the drive track to theslide rails and allowing for elevated drive train warm-up. Also requiredis a snowmobile stand mechanism that can be attached to a snowmobile,said mechanism requiring limited physical exertion for operation, saidmechanism also being capable of compact storage on the snowmobile.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided asnowmobile stand mechanism comprising a stand for a snowmobile of thetype having a drive track at a back end of the snowmobile for drivingthe snowmobile over a ground surface, the stand having a transportposition spaced above the ground surface and a use position supportingthe back end of the snowmobile with the drive track spaced above theground surface, the stand comprising:

-   -   a support leg having a ground-engaging base;    -   a lever arm assembly including:        -   a lever arm;        -   a lever arm mount for mounting the lever arm on the            snowmobile, the lever arm mount comprising:            -   a stand track mountable on the snowmobile to extend                therealong;            -   a stand track follower engaged with the stand track and                mounting the lever arm on the stand track for sliding                movement longitudinally of the snowmobile between                forward and rearward positions; and            -   a lever arm pivot mounting the lever arm on the stand                track follower for pivotal movement between the                transport and use positions; and        -   a fulcrum pivot mounting the support leg on the lever arm            for movement of the support leg between the transport and            use positions in response to movement of the lever arm            between the transport and use positions;    -   the parts being arranged such that in the use position, the        lever arm is in the rearward position, the support leg is        substantially in the upright with its base engaged with the        ground surface, and the lever arm pivot is above the fulcrum        pivot, and in the transport position, the lever arm is in the        forward position and the lever arm and support leg both extend        along the snowmobile, above the ground surface.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided asnowmobile of the type having a drive track at a back end thereof, astand for selectively supporting the drive track above a ground surface,the stand having a transport position spaced above the ground surfaceand a use position supporting the back end of the snowmobile with thedrive track spaced above the ground surface, the stand comprising:

-   -   a support leg having a ground-engaging base;    -   a lever arm assembly including:        -   a lever arm;        -   a lever arm mount mounting the lever arm on the snowmobile,            the lever arm mount comprising:            -   a stand track mounted on the snowmobile to extend                therealong;            -   a stand track follower engaged with the stand track and                mounting the lever arm on the stand track for sliding                movement longitudinally of the snowmobile between                forward and rearward positions; and            -   a lever arm pivot mounting the lever arm on the stand                track follower for pivotal movement between the                transport and use positions; and        -   a fulcrum pivot mounting the support leg on the lever arm            for movement of the support leg between the transport and            use positions in response to movement of the lever arm            between the transport and use positions;    -   the parts being arranged such that in the use position, the        lever arm is in the rearward position, the support leg is        substantially in the upright with its base engaged with the        ground surface, and the lever arm pivot is above the fulcrum        pivot, and in the transport position, the lever arm is in the        forward position and the lever arm and support leg both extend        along the snowmobile, above the ground surface.

In preferred embodiments of the present invention, the support leg issubstantially U-shaped, with two substantially parallel membersextending from the base to the fulcrum pivot. A support leg latch may beincluded to be selectively engageable for connecting the support leg andthe lever arm to prevent pivotal movement of the support leg about thefulcrum pivot. A lever assembly catch mechanism may also be adapted tobe mounted on the snowmobile for selectively fastening the lever arm inthe transport position to prevent rotation of the lever arm about thelever arm mount. The stand track preferably comprises a lever arm latchfor selectively fastening the lever arm assembly in the use position.

To assist in the goal of providing for minimal physical exertion duringoperation of the snowmobile lift mechanism, the present invention may beadapted to employ a motor-driven stand actuator. In this preferredembodiment, an actuator motor is attached to the snowmobile by a motormount, the motor output being connected to the lever arm for selectivelymoving the lever arm between the transport and use positions.

A detailed description of preferred embodiments of the present inventionis given in the following. It is to be understood, however, that theinvention is not to be construed as limited to those embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate exemplary embodiments ofthe present invention:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a manual embodiment of the present invention asinstalled on a snowmobile, in the transport position;

FIG. 2 is a side view of a manual embodiment of the present invention asinstalled on a snowmobile, in the use position;

FIG. 3 is a side view of a powered embodiment of the present inventionas installed on a snowmobile, in the transport position;

FIG. 4 is a side view of a powered embodiment of the present inventionas installed on a snowmobile, in the use position; and

FIG. 5 is a rear view of a manual embodiment of the present invention asinstalled on a snowmobile, in the use position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now in detail to the accompanying drawings, there areillustrated preferred embodiments of a snowmobile stand mechanismgenerally referred to by the numeral 10, shown removably attached to asnowmobile 15, said snowmobile 15 of a common type familiar to thoseskilled in the art and requiring no further description. The snowmobile15 is driven by a drive track 20. As can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, thesnowmobile stand mechanism 10 comprises a support leg 30 having aground-engaging base 35, and a lever arm assembly 40. The lever armassembly 40 comprises a lever arm 45, a lever arm mount, and a fulcrumpivot 55 mounting the support leg 30 on the lever arm 45 for movement ofthe support leg 30 between the transport and use positions in responseto movement of the lever arm 45 between the transport and use positions.The lever arm mount comprises a stand track 120 mounted on thesnowmobile 15 to extend therealong, a stand track follower 135 engagedwith the stand track 120 and mounting the lever arm 45 on the standtrack 120 for sliding movement longitudinally of the snowmobile 15between forward and rearward positions, and a lever arm pivot 50mounting the lever arm 45 on the stand track follower 135 for pivotalmovement between the transport and use positions. The stand track 120 isemployed to allow for retraction of the lever arm assembly 40 duringtransport and extension of same for use. When in the use position, thelever arm assembly 40 can be selectively fastened to the track by meansof the lever arm latch 125, which receives a pin 130. As can be seen inFIG. 5, the support leg 30 is preferably U-shaped with two substantiallyparallel members extending from the ground-engaging base 35 to thefulcrum pivot 55.

The support leg 30 is fitted with a support leg latch 65 which acts toprevent rotation of the support leg 30 about the fulcrum pivot 55. Thesupport leg latch 65 is selectively engageable and attaches toengagement means 105. The lever arm 45 may be selectively fastened inthe transport position by means of a lever assembly catch mechanism 70which rotates about the pivot defined by pivot means 110 and attaches toengagement means 100.

In the motor-driven embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, there is noseparate support leg 30 but a support leg 94 of the lever arm assembly40 is instead fitted with a ground-engaging base 95 which engages theground surface 25 when in the use position. Nor is there a need for anindependent lever assembly catch mechanism 70; this function isperformed by the actuator motor 80 and motor output 90 which forcerotation of the lever arm assembly 40 about the lever arm mount 50. Theactuator motor 80 is fitted with a motor mount 85 which is attached tothe snowmobile 15 by suitable means familiar to those skilled in theart.

Having fitted a snowmobile 15 with the snowmobile stand mechanism 10described above, the utility of the present invention becomes clear inthe following situation. Having either operated the snowmobile 15 andbeing desirous of parking it for a period of time, or being desirous ofstarting the snowmobile 15 with an elevated position to allow properwarm-up, the snowmobile stand mechanism 10 is operated as follows. Forthe preferred manual embodiment as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, andbeginning with the snowmobile stand mechanism 10 in the transportposition as in FIG. 1, the snowmobile operator (not shown) would firstrelease the lever assembly catch mechanism 70 which was held by theengagement means 100 and rotate the end of the lever assembly catchmechanism 70 that was held by the engagement means 100 upwards about thepivot point defined by the pivot means 110 (see FIG. 2 for the releasedposition), extend the lever arm assembly 40 along the stand track 120(latching it if desired by means of the lever arm latch 125 and the pin130), then release the support leg latch 65 which was held by theengagement means 105, allowing the support leg 30 to rotate in adownward direction about the pivot point defined by the fulcrum pivot55, the support leg 30 rotating to an upright, near-vertical orientationwith the ground-engaging base 35 engaging the ground. By releasing thelever assembly catch mechanism 70, the lever arm assembly 40 is allowedto rotate about the lever arm pivot 50. The rotation of the lever armassembly 40, facilitated by minimal application of manual force to thelever arm 45 by the snowmobile operator, drives the fulcrum pivot 55 ina generally downward direction, forcing the ground-engaging base 35 intofirm contact with the ground surface 25. Continued rotation of the leverarm assembly 40 by a further minimal application of manual force to thelever arm 45 by the snowmobile operator will cause the lever arm pivot50 to pass over the fulcrum pivot 55, resulting in a shift of vehiclebalance that uses the weight of the snowmobile 15 to bring the lever armassembly 40 and the support leg 30 into contact along their lengths ascan be seen in FIG. 2, and support leg latch 65 can be engaged usingengagement means 105 to bring stability to the elevated position. Thedrive track 20 is now no longer in contact with the ground surface 25,allowing for desired vehicle warm-up operation. The snowmobile 15 caneasily be returned to its original transport position by reversing theabove steps.

For the preferred motor-driven (electric, hydraulic, or pneumatic)embodiment as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, and beginning with thesnowmobile stand mechanism 10 in the transport position as in FIG. 3,the snowmobile operator (not shown) would not need to release anylocking structures, as the rotation of the lever arm assembly 40 iscontrolled by the actuator motor 80. Activating the actuator motor 80 byconventional means well known to those skilled in the art, the motoroutput 90 is driven into the lever arm assembly 40 at engagement means100. As the actuator motor 80 drives the motor output 90, the actuatormotor 80 rotates about a pivot point defined by the motor mount 85,forcing movement of the lever arm pivot 50 along the stand track 120 androtation of the lever arm assembly 40 about the lever arm pivot 50. Thisrotation of the lever arm assembly 40 will result in the ground-engagingbase 95 contacting the ground surface 25 and the vehicle coming to restin a relatively stable use position as is illustrated in FIG. 4,movement of the ground-engaging base 95 beneath the rear of thesnowmobile 15 being facilitated by the curved lip of the ground-engagingbase 95. If desired, the lever arm latch 125 and the pin 130 may beemployed to provide a stronger locking of the lever arm assembly 40 inposition. The drive track 20 is now no longer in contact with the groundsurface 25, allowing for desired vehicle warm-up operation. Again, thesnowmobile 15 can easily be returned to its original transport positionby reversing the above steps.

One further need of snowmobile operators is to have a luggage carrier ofsome sort provided at the vehicle rear. While some devices incorporate aluggage carrier, such as can be seen in Sibley, the lack of a solutionadequately addressing the other problems mentioned above points to theneed for a new apparatus that can meet all needs. In accordance with theneed for providing a luggage carrier on snowmobiles, the presentinvention may be adapted such that a luggage carrier is mounted on thelever arm 45. In the preferred embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4,a luggage carrier 75 is defined in side view as incorporated as part ofthe lever arm assembly 40. It is also to be noted, as can best be seenin FIGS. 1 and 3, that the lever arm 45 can be fitted with a back rest115 at the end remote from the bulk of the lever arm assembly 40, forincreased operator and passenger safety and comfort.

While two particular embodiments of the present invention have beendescribed in the foregoing, it is to be understood that otherembodiments are possible within the scope of the invention and areintended to be included herein. It will be clear to any person skilledin the art that modifications of and adjustments to this invention, notshown, are possible without departing from the spirit of the inventionas demonstrated through the preferred embodiments. The snowmobile standmechanism could also, for example, be designed to allow for easiercleaning, servicing, and repair of snowmobiles, yet another substantialand novel benefit of the present invention. The invention is thereforeto be considered limited solely by the scope of the appended claims.

1. A stand for a snowmobile of the type having a drive track at a backend of the snowmobile for driving the snowmobile over a ground surface,the stand having a transport position spaced above the ground surfaceand a use position supporting the back end of the snowmobile with thedrive track spaced above the ground surface, the stand comprising: asupport leg having a ground-engaging base; a lever arm assembly formounting the support leg on the snowmobile for movement between thetransport and use positions, the lever arm assembly including: a leverarm; a lever arm mount for mounting the lever arm on the snowmobile, thelever arm mount comprising: a stand track mountable on the snowmobile toextend therealong; a stand track follower engaged with the stand trackand mounting the lever arm on the stand track for sliding movementlongitudinally of the snowmobile between forward and rearward positions;and a lever arm pivot mounting the lever arm on the stand track followerfor pivotal movement between the transport and use positions; a supportleg mount mounting the support leg on the lever arm such that thesupport leg moves between the transport and use positions in response tomovement of the lever arm between the transport and use positions; theparts being arranged such that in the use position, the stand trackfollower is in the rearward position, the support leg is substantiallyupright with its base engaged with the ground surface, and, in thetransport position, the stand track follower is in the forward positionand the lever arm and support leg extend along the snowmobile, above theground surface.
 2. A stand according to claim 1 including a fulcrumpivot mounting the support leg on the lever arm for movement of thesupport leg between the transport and use positions in response tomovement of the lever arm between the transport an use positions.
 3. Astand according to claim 2 wherein the support leg is substantiallyU-shaped, with two substantially parallel members extending from thebase to the fulcrum pivot.
 4. A stand according to claim 2 including asupport leg latch selectively engageable for connecting the support legand the lever arm to prevent pivotal movement of the support leg aboutthe fulcrum pivot.
 5. A stand according to claim 1 including a leverassembly catch mechanism adapted to be mounted on the snowmobile forselectively fastening the lever arm in the transport position to preventrotation of the lever arm about the lever arm pivot.
 6. A standaccording to claim 1 including a luggage carrier mounted on the leverarm.
 7. A stand according to claim 1 wherein the lever assembly includesan actuator motor, a motor mount for attaching the motor to thesnowmobile and motor output connected to the lever arm at a positionspaced from the lever arm mount for selectively moving the lever armbetween the transport and use positions.
 8. A stand according to claim 2wherein, in the use position, the lever arm is in the rearward position,the support leg is substantially upright with its base engaged with theground surface, and the lever arm pivot is above the fulcrum pivot, andin the transport position, the lever arm is in the forward position andthe lever arm and support leg both extend along the snowmobile, abovethe ground surface.
 9. A stand according to claim 8 wherein in the useposition, the support leg and the lever arm constitute an over centerlinkage, with a line from the base to the lever arm pivot passing to aback side of the fulcrum pivot.
 10. In a snowmobile of the type having adrive track at a back end thereof, a stand for selectively supportingthe drive track above a ground surface, the stand having a transportposition spaced above the ground surface and a use position supportingthe back end of the snowmobile with the drive track spaced above theground surface, the stand comprising: a support leg having aground-engaging base; a fever arm assembly including: a lever arm; alever arm mount mounting the lever arm on the snowmobile, the lever armmount comprising: a stand track mounted on the snowmobile to extendtherealong; a stand track follower engaged with the stand track andmounting the lever arm on the stand track for sliding movementlongitudinally of the snowmobile between forward and rearward positions;and a lever arm pivot mounting the lever arm on the stand track followerfor pivotal movement between the transport and use positions; and afulcrum pivot mounting the support leg on the lever arm for movement ofthe support leg between the transport and use positions in response tomovement of the lever arm between the transport and use positions; theparts being arranged such that in the use position, the lever arm is inthe rearward position, the support leg is substantially in the uprightwith its base engaged with the ground surface, and the lever arm pivotis above the fulcrum pivot, and in the transport position, the lever armis in the forward position and the lever arm and support leg both extendalong the snowmobile, above the ground surface.
 11. The inventionaccording to claim 10 wherein the support leg is substantially u-shaped,with two substantially parallel members extending from the base to thefulcrum pivot.
 12. The invention according to claim 10 including asupport leg latch selectively engageable for connecting the support legand the lever arm to prevent pivotal movement of the support leg aboutthe fulcrum pivot.
 13. The invention according to claim 10 including alever assembly catch mechanism adapted to be mounted on the snowmobilefor selectively fastening the lever arm in the transport position toprevent rotation of the lever arm about the lever arm mount.
 14. Theinvention according to claim 10 including a luggage carrier mounted onthe lever arm.
 15. The invention according to claim 10 wherein the leverassembly includes an actuator motor, a motor mount for attaching themotor to the snowmobile and motor output connected to the lever arm at aposition spaced from the lever arm mount for selectively moving thelever arm between the transport and use positions.
 16. The inventionaccording to claim 10 wherein in the use position, the support leg andthe lever arm constitute an over center linkage, with a line from thebase to the lever arm mount passing to a back side of the fulcrum pivot.17. A stand according to claim 1 wherein the stand track comprises alever arm latch for selectively fastening the lever arm assembly in theuse position.
 18. The invention according to claim 10 wherein the standtrack comprises a lever arm latch for selectively fastening the leverarm assembly in the use position.